Narragansett Ave. is open for business!

Village merchants want everyone to know that they remain open despite the ongoing sidewalk construction.

Scott Sherman of Jamestown Hardware says the construction these past two weeks has had an impact on his business. He urges his customers to brave the confusion. “We are open and here to serve islanders,” he said this week.

Construction equipment has blocked the normal parking spaces, making it difficult for islanders to easily get to their favorite stores and restaurants. Many shoppers have stayed away.

At times, it appears easiest to park at East Ferry and walk up Narragansett Avenue to reach your destination.

The sidewalk construction is expected to last into early June. Construction crews started on the west side of Narragansett Avenue. They have replaced the curbing and have prepared the sidewalks for the new concrete.

Concrete for the driveways is expected to be poured this week, followed by the sidewalks. It will take several days for the concrete to cure.

Once the west side of Narragansett Avenue is complete, the construction crews will start on the east side and the whole process will be repeated.

A halt will be called to the construction in June before the summer season gets underway. The sidewalk project is expected to be wrapped up in the fall.

All of this downtown construction has resulted in detours, one-way traffic patterns and a loss of parking spaces.

There are still walkways to the front doors of all of the village businesses. It is just a bit harder to get there.

We’ve waited years for the Downtown Improvement Project to become reality. Now that the construction is finally happening, we must remember it is vital to patronize the stores and restaurants on Narragansett Avenue.